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Not Happy with Liquor Up Charges


gmbhardy
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2 hours ago, richstowe said:

OK , so they rolled back a few of their outrageous price hikes to less outrageous prices . Sound of one hand clapping . Now what are their plans concerning the new Premium Plus drink program . Obviously their plan was to push people towards this upcharge scheme . Buying this extra plan will be less of a "necessity" for many .I wonder what the next step will be .

I wouldn’t be surprised if we just see an increase to the daily cost of the UBP now.

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Many of us will go back to smuggling.  Not paying $25 for a shot of half decent tequila.  Not paying $800

more for “free at sea” either.  I really,  really like ncl,  but they sure are making it hard to want to sail with them.  This is our last next cert.  so i will look hard at other lines for next cruise.  I like rccl and carnival just fine.  

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14 minutes ago, bochest124 said:

Do we know if the  new menu prices (GG below $15) have rolled out to all ships at the same time or just some?   Sailing on the Bliss in a few weeks and wondering if we will see the changes.

 

I don’t know for sure, but I would assume it would be fleet wide. I don’t think NCL would want more disgruntled customers.

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Kind of bummed that I was not able to get my Patron last week on the Bliss and now it's back under the limit. 

The pricing is general is still messed up though.  Goslings Rum is 8.95, but 10.95 as a dark n stormy.  Cazadores Blanco tequila is 14.95, but only 12.95 as a Paloma.  And Leblon Cachaca is 14.95, but only 10.95 as a Caipirinha.  Granted, they are all still covered under the UBP,  but the pricing is out of wack for those paying individual drink prices.  And the three I chose are not the only ones.

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6 hours ago, AlexandNessa said:

I honestly wouldn't mind a premium package that included a higher drink price point, bottled water, specialty coffee, etc. But 29$ pp/pd + 20% is highway robbery. Hard pass. Sounds like NCL is trying to see where the breaking point is. They found mine. 

I think $100 + 20% per day should already include all that.

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Glad I decided to come to the NCL board and check things out just as I made a deposit on a 2020 cruise.  I decided  to give NCL another chance for 2020 when I saw a great deal on the Epic next February out of San Juan that included the drink and speciality dinner package and the agent covered all gratuities. Thought it was a great deal  but I am having seconds thoughts now and may keep my Celebrity Summit reservation instead. The OBC Celebrity gives as a second perk pays the cost to upgrade the free Classic package to Premium and they include Pelligrino and all those wonderful coffees at Cafe al Bacio.  I do miss NCL entertainment and speciality restaraunts though .... guess I will keep the low refundable deposit on both and decide before final payment as it seems all cruise lines keep changing their policies on these drinks packages and everything else.

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Just another decrease in perks...Platinum members used to each get 2 free specialty dinners for two  and a bottle of wine....then they changed it to 2 dinners for two and one bottle per CABIN , not each platinum member- doesn’t show any thanks for our loyalty.... 

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5 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Kind of bummed that I was not able to get my Patron last week on the Bliss and now it's back under the limit. 

The pricing is general is still messed up though.  Goslings Rum is 8.95, but 10.95 as a dark n stormy.  Cazadores Blanco tequila is 14.95, but only 12.95 as a Paloma.  And Leblon Cachaca is 14.95, but only 10.95 as a Caipirinha.  Granted, they are all still covered under the UBP,  but the pricing is out of wack for those paying individual drink prices.  And the three I chose are not the only ones.

Really? I have always thought that NCL mixed drink prices were really affordable, especially for being at sea. I know I paid WAY more per drink on RCI! 

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1 hour ago, kmc86 said:

Just another decrease in perks...Platinum members used to each get 2 free specialty dinners for two  and a bottle of wine....then they changed it to 2 dinners for two and one bottle per CABIN , not each platinum member- doesn’t show any thanks for our loyalty.... 

I think you are misremembering the old deal. It was a dinner for two with wine at Le Bistro per person. It is now two dinners for two (1 with wine at LB/Cagneys) and 1 at Moderno/La Cucina without wine per cabin. This is still 4 dinners but 1 less wine (which is not a great hardship considering the wines on offer). Granted the menu choices are restricted so I suppose it is a diminution of the perk but not by as much as you think.

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1 hour ago, kmc86 said:

Just another decrease in perks...Platinum members used to each get 2 free specialty dinners for two  and a bottle of wine....then they changed it to 2 dinners for two and one bottle per CABIN , not each platinum member- doesn’t show any thanks for our loyalty.... 

Either you are not platinum, so you really didn't know, or your memory is not good.  Each platinum member used to receive ONE dinner for 2, with a bottle of wine.  With 2 platinum members in a cabin, you would get 2 dinners for 2, with 2 bottles of wine.  Now that it is per cabin, the only thing lost is 1 bottle of wine, however  now you don't both need to be platinum to get 2 dinners for 2.

 

Should you not believe what I just said, it is documented here: http://www.cruisetotravel.com/2017/01/31/adjusting-latitudes-changing-the-norwegian-loyalty-program/

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1 minute ago, SteveH2508 said:

I think you are misremembering the old deal. It was a dinner for two with wine at Le Bistro per person. It is now two dinners for two (1 with wine at LB/Cagneys) and 1 at Moderno/La Cucina without wine per cabin. This is still 4 dinners but 1 less wine (which is not a great hardship considering the wines on offer). Granted the menu choices are restricted so I suppose it is a diminution of the perk but not by as much as you think.

Threads are saying the benefit has been increased to $25.  People reporting this from multiple ships.  I am hoping it's true, and will see in March.

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17 minutes ago, vince_g said:

Threads are saying the benefit has been increased to $25.  People reporting this from multiple ships.  I am hoping it's true, and will see in March.

 I guess because of commensurate price increases in the A la Carte items? (Not that NCL would increase their prices now would they?:classic_rolleyes:)

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1 hour ago, vince_g said:

Threads are saying the benefit has been increased to $25.  People reporting this from multiple ships.  I am hoping it's true, and will see in March.

just got off the Dawn a few weeks ago, yes it is true.

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I just finished NCL Breakaway last Sunday and have an NCL Epic on Saturday. I couldn’t agree more on the nickel and diming. After the upcoming Saturday cruise I won’t sail NCL again.

 

The food in the main dining room was downright bad some nights (the steak was inedible), it was laughable that water and specialty coffee was not included in the UBP, and our cabin steward was not good (a piece of food was on our balconey floor the day we embarked and stayed there until day 9. I could have asked for it to be cleaned but I was curios how long it would remain).

 

We ate two nights in specialty restaurants because it was part of our package and the food was generally good (stay away from the “decadent brownie” in Cagneys. It was so dry that it crumbled to tiny pieces when I cut into it) but I will not pay $2k plus pp for a cruise then have to pay more to get good food. 

 

Celebrity is getting us back and we won’t stray again.

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I wish the increase to $25 was for drinks, but I believe the increase referred to the amount allowed for latitude voucher entrees.  I believe it's been reported to have increased from $20 to $25.

Not really a gift since they keep raising the menu prices at the specialty restaurants.

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8 minutes ago, Lisa99 said:

 

 

The food in the main dining room was downright bad some nights (the steak was inedible), it was laughable that water and specialty coffee was not included in the UBP, and our cabin steward was not good (a piece of food was on our balconey floor the day we embarked and stayed there until day 9. I could have asked for it to be cleaned but I was curios how long it would remain).

 

 

Yeah gave up on steak on cruise ships years ago, we usually check the menu of the mdr and end up at the buffet, cruiseline food in general has been a little subpar and deteriorating year after year. 

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27 minutes ago, ALS1214 said:

So instead of a $15 drink limit, there is now a $25 drink limit for the regular drink perk? That would be  nice. 

 

There was some discussion on this thread about the Platinum dinner entree being raised to $25. I think some posters mixed up the two topics. I’m pretty sure the threshold amount for the UBP is still $15.

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3 hours ago, TheDougOut said:

Before the sidetrack about $25, the newly posted menus show the price for many items have been lowered to be below the $15 threshold.  

So now, we can pay $14.95 plus a $2.98 gratuity/service charge? $17.93 for a Tito's and soda? Or a grey goose and cranberry juice? Not a chance. 

 

NCL should be backpedaling big time on this. Too little, too late for me. Greedy, greedy, greedy.

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2 minutes ago, blcruising said:

So now, we can pay $14.95 plus a $2.98 gratuity/service charge? $17.93 for a Tito's and soda? Or a grey goose and cranberry juice? Not a chance. 

 

NCL should be backpedaling big time on this. Too little, too late for me. Greedy, greedy, greedy.

 

If you have UBP, you’re paying $0 more.  If you don’t have UBP, I’m guessing you don’t care about alcohol pricing.  

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4 minutes ago, blcruising said:

So now, we can pay $14.95 plus a $2.98 gratuity/service charge? $17.93 for a Tito's and soda? Or a grey goose and cranberry juice? Not a chance. 

 

NCL should be backpedaling big time on this. Too little, too late for me. Greedy, greedy, greedy.

How much was it before these changes?

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